Joseph strachan



(No Model.)

J. STRAGHAN.

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING FRA-ME.

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Smau/V00@ N PETERS. Fhainvmhugnpher, wnmmgmn. D. C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH STRAOHAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

PHOTOGRAPHIC-PRINTING FRAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,639, dated April 3, 1888.

Application filed July 28,1887. Serial No. 245,496. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern.- j

Be it known that I, JOSEPH STRAOHAN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement iu Print-Frames, of which the following is a full, clear; and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.-

The object of my invention is to provide a print-frame that will hold drawings of extra or great length, together with a sufficient amount of sensitized paper to receive prints of the successive sections of the drawing, and will enable the different sections of the drawing to be exposed successively, and will also hold the printed portions until a complete print of the drawing has been obtained.

A further object is to enable the drawing and paper to loe easily controlled and moved in the frame and to be firmly held in place when'the impression is being made.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is u a bottom view of my improved print-frame.

Fig. 2 is a side View of the same, having certain parts broken away. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Figs. 4, 5, and-6 are detail vviews of different parts of my invention.

My print-frame is preferably divided into three parts or divisions.

A is the middle division, in the top of which is set the glass a, under which the drawing is exposed. On either side of the middle division are the end divisions or boxes, B B, which are connected with the division A by slots b b, through which the drawings and sensitized paper are drawn into the middle division when they are to be exposed. A roller, c, is mounted in each of the boxes B, and its shaft projects through the sides of the box, and has a crank iixed on one end, by which it can be turned. To hold the roller in its place when the drawing and sensitized paper have been brought into position, a ratchet wheel is mounted on the same end of the roller and a pawl arranged to take in the teeth of the ratchet-wheel. The other projecting end of the roller has a friction-band, t, passing over it. This friction-band is secured firmly to the side ofthe frame at one end. A set-screw, s, passes through the other end and works in a threaded hole in a projecting arm of the frame. By means of this set-screw the pressure of the friction-band upon the roller can be increased or diminished, as desired, for the purposes hereinafter expressed. The drawing and sensitized paper are first rolled upon one of the rollers c, preferably by means of devices hereinafter described. To give easy access to the rollers c, the side d of each box B is mounted on hinges, so that it can be opened. The adjoiningside e of each box B is made to slide in grooves in the adjoining sides of the box, so that the side e can be removed. 'Ihus access can be had to the roller c from two sides, which enables the drawing and paper to be fastened to or removed from the roller quickly and easily. This possibility of removal of two sides of the box facilitates the practical working of the frame when attaching the drawing, Ste., to the rollers.

To prevent any waste of sensitized paper, and also to provide against the frequent occurrence of little or no margin on a drawing, attachment to the roller c is effected through the medium of some lexible material--such as linen or muslin-one end of which is attached permanently to the roller. This mode of attachment is shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 5, in which f is the connecting-piece, of iiexible material. One end of this piece is attached permanently to the roller. A flat strip of metal, g, is sewed into the other end of the piece f, the strip g being preferably from onequarter to three-eighths of an inch wide. The strip g serves to strengthen the connectingpiece fand to hold it extended, so as to prevent it from wrinkling or folding. Holes are punched through this strip g and the surrounding material at a distance of from six to eight inches apart; or eyelets maybe passed through the met-al and cloth. Thron gh each hole or eyelet passes a gripping-piece, h, preferably made of bent metal, as shown, and havingtwo jaws, from-one of which a pin, i, projects, and in the other of which a hole is made to receive the point of the pinl when the gripping device is closed.

j j are twoholdcrs, preferably made of sheetbrass and placed between the jaws of the gripping-piece h. The holders are provided with holes to receive the pin i.

7c is a band working on the grippingpiece h and serving to force its jaws together when it is slipped down upon those jaws. The drawing and sensitized paper are slipped between the holders j j. Then the band 7c is pressed down toward thejaws of the gripping piece h. These jaws are then forced together and press the holders upon the drawing and paper, so as to firmly clamp them. The pin 'i passes through the hole in the upper holder, through the drawing and paper, and into the hole in the lower holder, thus helpingto hold the drawing and sensitized paper in place.

Upon each end of the glass a, I place a strip of opaque'paper, Z, or other opaque material, preferably by pasting it to the Linder side of the glass. By this means the different sections of the drawing are accurately marked, and the danger of printing the same portion of the drawing over again or of missing some portion of it is avoided.

Vhen a section of the drawing has been moved into its proper position under the glass, it is fastened there by the back piece, m, of the print-frame. rlhis back piece, m, is attached to the 'frame in such a way that it can be pressed down tightly upon the drawing and sensitized paper when the latter are in place, and when the drawing is to be moved along can be released, so as to permit the drawing to move freely without moving the print-frame from its position. This mode of attaching the back piece is shown in Figs. l and 2. n n are two curved springs, the endsof which bear on the back piece, m. These springs un are connected and held in place by a cross-piece, o. This cross-piece is held in place by bolts p p at the ends, having a sliding connection with the sides of the frame.

q is a metal piece attached to the side of the frame, havinga tubular or cylindrical poi tion, with a slot extending the greater part of its length. The boltp slides in the metal piece q. The bolt p is provided with projecting arms i* r at its ends, one adapted to bear on the crosspiece o and the other to be turned under the end of the cylindrical portion of the metal piece q. The latter arm, r, when not locked on the metal piece q, moves up and down in the slot in that piece.

Vhen the drawing is in position to be clamped, the back piece, m, is pressed tightly against the drawing by means of the springs n a and cross-piece o, and the crosspiece is locked in this position by the boltsp p, which are moved in the metal pieces q until one arm o' of the bolt bears irmly against the crosspiece o, and the other arm can be locked on the end of the cylindrical portion ofthe metal piece g.

My entire frame is preferably mounted on wheels, for grcaterconvenience. These wheels hold the frame up so that the boltspp and other parts will be clear of whatever the printframe stands upon.

In using my improved frame the drawing and sensitized paper are rolled upon one of the rollers c, which becomes the feeding-roller. Then a section of the same is passed nnder the glass, as much as can be Vprinted at once, and the other end of the drawing and paper is attached to the other roller c, which becomes the receiving-roller. Vhen a print has been taken ofthe first section, the successive sections are passed under the glass by turning the rollers c, and are printed until an impression of the entire drawing is obtained, the'unprinted drawing and paper being unrolled from the feeding-roller and the printed sections heilig rolled upon the receiving-roller. The boxes B should be made in such a way as to exclude the light, so that the sensitized paper will not be acted upon in any way in them. When the drawing is being moved in the printframe, it is advisable to place a cloth over the glass, so as to exclude the light.

I prefer to always use one roller for the nnprinted portions and the other roller for the printed portions,as the connecting piecefmust be made longer on the feeding'roller, since the length of the drawing may not be such as to make the last section ot' full length. It is dcsirable, when thick stiff paper is used, to have the roller on which the unprinted portions are rolled under pressure, so that it will not turn too readily and allow the paper to slip or un roll too far. This pressure is secured by the frictionband t, above described.

In my improved frame continuous impressions can be made of drawings of great length with accuracy and with great saving in time and labor. For example, my improved print frame saves all matching and pasting of drawings, the doubling of paper along the line of joining', the waste of sensitized paper caused by the lapping ol' one section on another, the damage to the tracing by creasing, the loss of time in taking the frame to pieces to place another section in the light, and has other additional advantages. Small drawings also can be printed with greater speed and convenience.

Various parts of my invention can be used alone or in other combinations, so I do not limit my claim merely to the combination of the parts shown.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A print frame provided with rollers adapted to 'hold the drawing and sensitized paper, and connecting devices to cause the drawing and sensitized paper to move with the rollers and with each other, and a suitable place between the rollers for exposing the drawing and sensitized paper to the light.

2. A print-frame consisting of a middle portion, where the drawing and the sensitized paper are exposed, and two end boxes and rollers mounted therein, one roller to hold the drawing and sensitized paper before exposure, the other roller to hold them after exposure, and connecting devices to cause the drawing and sensitized paper to move with the rollers and with each other, substantially as shown and described.

3. A print-frame consisting of a middle portion, where the drawing and the sensitized paper are exposed, and two end boxes and rollers mounted therein adapted to feed and to receive the drawing and sensitized paper, respectively, and adj ustable friction -bands adapted to bear on said rollers, substantially as shown and described.

4. A print-frame consisting of a vmiddle division with a glass and an adjustable back piece, between which the drawing and sensitized paper are held and exposed, and two end boxes having slits through which the drawing and sensitized paper pass to or from the middle division, and rollers in said boxes to hold the drawing and sensitized paper, and hinged and sliding sides to said end boxes, substantiallyV as shown and described.

5. A print-frame consisting of a middle division, with a glass under which the drawing and sensitized paper are exposed, and two end boxes and rollers mounted therein to hold the drawing and paper, and connecting devices to cause the drawing and sensitized paper to move with the rollers and with each other, and a crank-arm and a ratchet and pawl attached to each roller for moving the drawing and paper and holding the same taut, substantially as shown and described.

6. A device for fastening the drawing and sensitized paper in a print-frame to end rollers, consisting of a connecting-piece of suitable material adapted to be fastened to the roller at one end, eyelets at the other end of said connecting-piece, gripping-pieces passing through said eyelets, and bands on said gripping-pieces for opening or closing the jaws of the gripping-pieces, substantially as shown and described.

7. A device for fastening the drawing and sensitized paper in a print-frame to end rollers, consisting of a connecting-piece of suitable material adapted to be fastened to'the roller at one end, a strip of metal inclosed in the other end of said connecting-piece, eyelets through said metal trips and the material inclosingit, grippingpieces passing through said eyelets, bands on said gripping-pieces for opening or closing them, pins projecting inwardly from the ends of the gripping-pieces, and holders having holes to receivesaid pins and adapted to clamp the drawing and paper v when the gripping-pieces are closed, substantially as shown and described. n

8. A print-frame consisting of a middle division,where the drawing and sensitized paper are exposed, and two end boxes and rollers mounted therein to hold the drawing and pa per, and two pieces of suitable material, each one adapted to be fastened to its roller at one end, eyelets at the other end of each piece, gripping-pieces passing through the eyelets,

4and bands on said gripping-pieces for opening and closing the jaws of the grippingpieces, substantially as shown and described.

9. In combination with a print-frame having a middle division, with a glass under which the drawing and sensitized paper are exposed, and two end boxes and rollers mounted therein to hold the drawing and paper, and strips of y opaque material at the ends of the glass to mark the section-lines, substantially as shown and described.

l0. A device for fastening in its place the back piece of a print-frame, consisting of a cross piece, springs attached thereto and adapted to bear on the back of the print-frame, and bolts having a sliding connection with the print frame, and projecting arms on' said bolts, one adapted to bear on said cross-piece and the other to bear against some part of the print-frame, substantially as shown and described.

11. A print-frame consisting of a middle division, with a glass under which the drawing and the sensitized paper are exposed, and end boxes and rollers mounted therein to hold the drawing and paper, in combination with a back piece, a cross-piece, springs attached to said crosspiece and adapted to bear on the back piece, bolts having a sliding connection with the print-frame, and projecting arms 011 said bolts, one adapted to bear on said crosspiece and the other to be turned under some part of the print-frame, whereby the pressure of the back piece upon the drawing and paper can be removed when a new section of drawing is to be passed under the glass, all substantially as shown and described.

, JOSEPH STRACHAN.

Witnesses;

ROBERT N. KENYoN, EDWIN Suona. 

